Akira Kurosawa – Ikiru [+Extras] (1952)

REVIEW:Shan Jayaweera, Senses of CinemaAlong with the various uses of time and perspective in the narrative, Ikiru displays all the other hallmarks that make Kurosawa such an important and influential filmmaker. The framing, shot composition and editing techniques all beautifully work together to bring out the story the most dazzling of these being the sequence reminiscing about his son. The dissolves and the matching of shots past to present are used to such effect that the audience is left feeling his pain not of imminent death but wasted life. Special mention must also go to Takashi Shimura’s beautiful performance as Mr Watanabe. Shimura and Kurosawa worked many times together, most famously in Seven Samurai where Shimura played the head samurai. As Mr Watanabe, Shimura’s mannerisms and reactions take the audience into the inner most depths and thoughts of the character. His performance lingers through the second half even though we barely see him.

EXTRAS INCLUDED
1. Audio Commentary by Stephen Prince, author of The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa as a separate optional Audio Track on the avi rip.
2. A Message from Akira Kurosawa: For Beautiful Movies (2000): an 81-minute documentary produced by Kurosawa Production Inc., featuring interviews with the director on the sets of his later films.
3. A 41-minute documentary on [i]Ikiru from the series Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create; including interviews with Kurosawa, writer Hideo Oguni, actor Takashi Shimura, and many othersScreenshots: Ikiru Documentary